Pearl's Fateful Encounter
by nekonohime
Summary: Pearl Fey comes to visit Phoenix and Trucy for a while. However, her life forever changes when she meets Wocky Kitaki at his family's pastry shop. Wocky/Pearl.
1. Chapter 1

**_Holy crap! My first fic posted here! In YEARS! So yeah, I came up with this one after reading lilacbird's Wocky/Pearl fics, and I thought the pairing was pretty cute, so I decided to make my own!_**

_**Also, this fic takes place 1 year after Apollo Justice (2027) so this might have SPOILERS for that game and the other 3 Phoenix Wright games, so I suggest playing those (Or maybe just AJ) before reading this. **_

_**Well, enjoy.**_

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The train station was very crowded today, mainly due to the tourists and business travelers coming to the city. Phoenix Wright and his daughter Trucy were waiting at the arrival area. Trucy was quite anxious and pacing around.

"Daddy?" Trucy asked, taking off her hat and twirling it around, "I don't see Pearl anywhere!"

Phoenix chuckled and said, "Don't worry, she's coming. The train's already dropped off the Kurain Village departures."

He pointed to a LED sign stating the trains' arrivals and departures, with Kurain Village at the top of arrivals. Trucy looked up at it and began to ease up a bit.

Suddenly a voice called out, "Mr. Nick! Trucy! Over here!"

Phoenix turned to where the voice came from to see an eighteen year old Pearl Fey, looking almost the same as she did back in her younger years. She still had the same hairstyle and still had her acolyte clothes, but she had a more mature demeanor about her. Phoenix and Trucy walked through the crowd to meet Pearl.

"Pearls! It's been a while!" Phoenix said hugging Pearl, "How's Maya?"

Pearl smiled and said, "She's doing fine. She says 'hello'."

Then Trucy cut in excitedly, "Pearl! I missed you so much! I haven't seen you in like... Five years!"

"Yeah, it's been a while", Pearl said. She dropped her suitcase she was carrying and rubbed her hands, "Phew! I've been carrying this suitcase for hours..."

Phoenix offered to carry it for her, and she accepted. "Alright, let's head back to the agency", Phoenix said, leading Trucy and Pearl out of the train station and hailing a cab. One eventually showed up and they were on their way.

***

When the cab arrived at the talent agency, Phoenix carried Pearl's suitcase inside. Trucy had been talking to her nonstop the whole way about her magic acts at the Wonder Bar.

"... That's nice, Trucy", Pearl said tiredly.

"Oh! But it is!"

Soon they were inside, and Pearl sat down with Trucy on the couch. She was sad that Phoenix wasn't a lawyer anymore, but she understood his reasons.

"Pearl! Wanna see another magic trick?" Trucy asked,

"Sure", Pearl said.

Trucy took off her hat, said some magic words, and pulled out a bouquet of flowers,

"Wow", Pearl said, "Your magic has gotten a lot better since we last met!"

Trucy just beamed with joy at this comment, "Really?! You think so?" Pearl smiled and said, "Yeah!"

For the next hour, Phoenix, Trucy, and Pearl caught up on what they had missed during the five years that they were apart. The talked about Trucy helping Apollo with his cases, Pearl's life in Kurain Village, Maya's master duties, among other things. They ate dinner afterwards, consisting of frozen TV dinners, since that was all that was left in the fridge. After that they watched the prime-time movie for around two hours, and then it was bedtime.

"Pearl, you'll be sleeping in the guest room next to Trucy's room", Phoenix said, "Don't you two stay up too late now."

"OK Daddy!" Trucy said.

Soon Pearl was in her pajamas, which were a matching pants and shirt set. Trucy wore an over-sized nightgown that went past her knees. Trucy and Pearl sat on the guest bed where Pearl was to sleep and talked.

"So Pearl, how does it feel to come back to the city after so long?" Trucy asked.

"It's pretty good", Pearl said, "I missed it actually. I love it here."

Trucy smiled and said, "Yeah, I like it too! Though I've always lived here... Ooh! I can't wait to take you to Mr. Eldoon's! His noodles are to die for!"

Pearl lit up, "Really? Sounds good! We should go there tomorrow!"

Trucy sat silent for a few minutes, and then said, "Oh! I just remembered!"

"What?" Pearl asked.

"Daddy told me a while back that the Kitakis opened their pastry shop about a month ago", Trucy said.

Pearl immediately lit up, "A pastry shop?! Yummy!"

She loved sweets, so hearing that there was a pastry shop in town just made her day.

Soon Pearl asked, "But who are the Kitakis?" It was quite obvious she had never heard of them.

Trucy began to explain, "Oh! Well let me tell you... The Kitakis are... Err... were... A gangster family."

Pearl gulped, "Were?"

"Yeah", Trucy continued, "The boss of the family, Winfred 'Big Wins' Kitaki, decided that their lifestyle wasn't exactly the best one, and he wanted to make 'clean money', if you know what I mean."

Pearl thought for a moment, then she covered her mouth and gasped "Oh my!"

Trucy continued, "So anyway, they decided to open up their pastry shop."

Pearl asked another question, "So, who's in the family?"

"Well", Trucy answered, "There's the boss' wife, Plum. She's really nice, but if you get on her bad side... She's got a katana hidden in her broom she's not afraid to show off."

Pearl shuddered fearfully.

Trucy began again, "They've also got a son, Wocky. He's two years older than you, I think. He tries to act tough all the time, and he uses a lot of funny words, but he's not that bad. He calls me 'Shorty' too."

Pearl didn't ask what that nickname meant, since she thought it meant that Trucy was short.

"We should go there too, after we go to Eldoon's for dessert" Trucy added.

Pearl thought it was kind of funny that a former gangster family was running a bakery, but it did sound good. "Yeah! I can't wait!" She said.

Suddenly, Phoenix's voice bellowed, "Girls, go to bed!"

Trucy went "Oh poo!" And left the room, "Goodnight, Pearl".

"Goodnight Trucy", Pearl said as she climbed in her bed and cut the lights off.

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_**No flames allowed in the reviews section. constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. **_

_**More chapters coming soon.  
**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Here we go again! Another chapter! This one's much longer than the first, so I hope you enjoy!**_

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Pearl woke up around ten o'clock the next morning. She did her morning routine, then headed to the kitchen to see Phoenix frying bacon and eggs, while Trucy was eating cereal.

"Mornin' Pearls", Phoenix said.

"Good morning", Pearl said, pouring some cereal and sitting next to Trucy.

"Daddy", Trucy asked, "Can we go to the Kitakis' pastry shop today? And Mr. Eldoon's?"

Phoenix looked at Trucy and said, "I can understand Eldoon's, but why the Kitakis'?"

"Well, Pearl says she loves sweets and she wanted try their pastries!" Trucy said.

"Oh, OK then. We'll go", Phoenix said.

"Yay!" Trucy cheered. Pearl smiled. She couldn't wait to to try out all the pastries.

***

Later that afternoon, Phoenix, Trucy and Pearl were at Eldoon's noodle stand, outside of some nearby buildings on the side of the road.

"Wow, I've never seen a noodle stand before", Pearl said in amazement.

The stand was a good size, with one man running it: Guy Eldoon. He was a grungy looking fellow but he wasn't a bad guy. Phoenix was good friends with him as well.

"Nick! Trucy-doll! How are ya?"Eldoon said with a smile.

"The usual, Guy", Phoenix said.

"Hello sir", Pearl said politely.

"Why hello young lady! What's your name?" Eldoon asked.

"Pearl Fey", Pearl answered, "I'd like what they're having."

"Comin' up!" Eldoon said, putting his ladle in a giant pot, then pouring the noodles in three bowls. He then handed each person one bowl.

"Here ya go! Three bowls of extra salty noodles! Enjoy!" He said proudly.

Trucy and Pearl ate their noodles while heading toward the Kitakis' pastry shop, which was right down the block. Phoenix stayed where he was, also eating his noodles.

"Aren't you coming, Daddy?" Trucy asked.

"No", Phoenix said, "I'm not much on sweets. You and Pearl go on without me. I'll just chat with Mr. Eldoon while you're gone."

Trucy seemed disappointed, "Oh, alright then", she said taking Pearl's hand. "C'mon, Pearl. It's right down the street. Let's go!"

***

Pearl and Trucy were finally outside the pastry shop. It was a small building, but it was quite flashy on the outside, with tons of advertisements for various specials and offers. There were also tables and chairs outside for people to lounge and eat. There was a sign in the window that said 'Open'.

Trucy read all the signs and said, "Well, I hope it's worth all this hype." She then put her hands on the door knob and opened it, "C'mon Pearl!"

Pearl followed right behind her, "OK."

She didn't know what to expect of this place, since it was run by ex gangsters and all.

When they walked inside, the smell of baked goods hit them immediately. Pearl looked at all the photos of the Kitakis' family members and friends, as well as the fox themed decor on the walls. There were small tables and chairs inside too, and they looked pretty decent. The front counter had a case at the bottom where it had all the pastries displayed. However, they noticed that there were no other customers here. Or employees for that matter.

Trucy was kind of confused, "Huh? Where is everybody?" She asked.

Pearl suggested, "Maybe they went out to lunch."

"Maybe", Trucy said, crossing her arms. "Let's just wait until an employee shows up." So the two girls sat at one of the tables and waited.

Fifteen minutes had passed, and Trucy was getting irritated.

"That's it! We're leaving! I'm tired of waiting! Let's just go find Daddy and-"

Suddenly they heard a door open in the back of the building.

"Well, I guess that worked!" Trucy said.

They heard some rustling, most likely of clothes coming from the kitchen, and then footsteps coming towards where they were. The person opened the kitchen door that leaded to the counter. He didn't notice Trucy and Pearl, because he had his back turned trying to put on his apron.

"...Man, no customers again... So wack, man..." He muttered to himself.

Trucy was getting annoyed by him ignoring them, so she yelled "WE'RE WAIIITING~!"

The employee practically jumped out of his skin and screamed, then quickly turned around to see Trucy standing in front of the counter tapping her foot impatiently, while Pearl stood next to her, staring at him horrified.

The employee then shouted, "Dang gurl, ya scared me! I almost had a heart attack, know what I'm sayin'?!"

Trucy immediately recognized who this was, "Wocky! Good to see you again!" She said cheerfully.

Wocky looked at Trucy for a moment, then said, "Shorty! I haven't seen ya in foreva' gurl!"

During all this, Pearl just stood there silently, not believing who she was seeing. He had to be the weirdest boy she had ever seen in her entire life. He was tall, around five feet ten inches or so, and had narrow brown eyes. Pearl noted is crazy hair. It was dark brown up to the nape of his neck, but had a huge curly orange bang in the middle of his forehead and fringes styled and bleached to look like an animal's ears. Pearl thought his appearance was like the foxes from those old trickster tales. He wore a 'gangster' Blue Badger t-shirt under his apron and baggy jeans, keeping up his 'gangsta' image. Pearl was a little intimidated by his appearance, and she got a bit nervous.

Trucy interrupted Pearl's thoughts by putting her arm around her saying, "Wocky, my friend Pearl here is a HUGE fan of pastries! Aren't you Pearl?"

Pearl looked nervously at Wocky and said, "Um... Sure."

Wocky looked at Pearl curiously and said, "Pearl, eh? Well, I'll get ya whatever ya want!"

He showed Pearl the display case under the counter with the pastries she looked at earlier.

"So, whadda ya want?" Wocky said to both girls while putting on plastic gloves and grabbing some prongs.

Trucy looked at the display case for a while, and spotted a personal sized pie. "Ooh! What a cute little pie!" She looked at the label on it that said 'Apple' and said, "And it's apple too? Yum! I want this one, Wocky!"

"Awright then, Shorty", he said taking the tiny apple pie out of the display. He then put it in a box and handed it to Trucy. "Here ya go, Shorty!"

Trucy smiled and said, "Thanks!" She then looked at Pearl and nudged her, "Your turn!"

Pearl didn't say anything.

"Uh... Pearl's ya name right?" Wocky asked.

Pearl nodded lightly.

"Don't be shy gurl. Jus' pick somethin'."

Pearl looked at Wocky nervously and said, "O-oh... Alright..."

She looked at the display case as well, until she saw a chocolate cupcake with orange frosting. It also had a piece of candy on it that was in the shape of a fox's head. Pearl pointed to it and said, "I want this one."

Trucy looked at the cupcake herself and said, "Aww, it's so cute!"

Wocky nodded and said, "Awright, gurl." He grabbed the cupcake and gave it to Pearl.

"Thank you", Pearl said shyly.

"No prob gurl." Wocky said back.

Then Trucy gave him the money for the treats and said, "Thanks! We'll see ya later! Daddy's waiting on us".

"OK Shorty, I'll see ya around." Wocky said as the two girls were walking out of the shop.

Pearl waved at him bashfully.

***

When they got outside of the shop on their way back to meet Phoenix, Trucy had already crammed that entire pie in her mouth.

Trucy then gulped and said, "That was the best pie ever!"

Pearl just stared at her blankly. She was still thinking about how strange but fascinating Wocky was. Pearl's face suddenly felt hot, "_Oh no!_" She thought, "_I-I'm blushing?! Why?!_"

Trucy noticed Pearl just standing there silently not eating her cupcake and asked, "Aren't you gonna eat that?"

Pearl nodded.

Trucy then noticed that Pearl's face was red, "What's the matter Pearl? Your face is all red!"

Pearl gasped and said, "O-Oh! I-It's nothing, really! It's just a little hot out here!" She started to fan herself with one hand while the other was holding the cupcake.

Trucy then had a light bulb moment, "Does it have something to do with Wocky?" She asked.

Pearl shifted her eyes and said, "... He kind of scared me, Trucy."

Trucy tilted her head like a confused puppy. "Why? He's not that scary! He's a nice guy!"

Pearl felt a little better by her comment but her face still felt warm. "I guess so. He... He just looked so weird! And talked funny! And he kept calling me 'Gurl'!"

Trucy smiled, "Don't worry about him, Pearl. He does that kind of stuff all the time!"

When the girls finally met up with Phoenix, he said, "Pearls! Trucy! What took so long! You guys were gone an hour! I was starting to get worried!"

Trucy said, "Don't worry Daddy! We were just talking to Wocky! And Pearl took forever to decided what she wanted. Oh! And she said Wocky scared her!"

Pearl hung her head in embarrassment as Phoenix looked at her, "Pearls? Did he do something to you?"

Pearl blushed and said, "No!"

Trucy cut in and said, "He just asked her what she wanted and she just clammed up! And she stared at him too!"

"Did not!" Pearl said blushing even more.

Phoenix just chuckled and said, "Well, I guess the fact that he's the son of a former gangster would intimidate anyone." He then said, "Let's just head back home before it gets dark."

***

When they got back, Pearl put her uneaten cupcake in the refrigerator, sighed, and went to her room. Trucy and Phoenix looked at each other in concern.

"What's wrong with her Daddy? Ever since we met Wocky she's been acting totally weird! What should we do?" Trucy asked in a worried tone.

Phoenix sighed. He had a feeling he knew what was going on, but he didn't want to tell Trucy. Instead he said, "I'll go talk to her."He started to head towards Pearl's room when suddenly he realized Trucy was following him.

"Can I help too?" Trucy asked.

"No", Phoenix said, "This is a private matter between me and Pearl, so you go and watch TV."

Trucy pouted and walked to the living room.

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_**No flames allowed. Constructive criticism greatly appreciated.**_

_**More chapters coming soon.  
**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Yay, another chapter finally finished! Phew... This chapter's a bit shorter than the last one. It's mainly just Pearl and Phoenix talking.**_

_**Enjoy.**_

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**_Pearl was in her room, lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't stop thinking about Wocky.

"_Why did I get like that today?_" She thought, trying to figure out what was happening to her, "_He was sure a strange guy... But... Kinda..._"

Pearl realized what she was about to think and shook her head.

"_Wait... What?!_" She had her deepest blush yet and buried her face in her hands. She was quite confused; She didn't want to have those type of feelings for somebody she just met, and especially someone like Wocky.

"_What's wrong with me?_" She thought again, "_Wocky's not... No! Why did I just think that?!_" Pearl then hid her face under her pillow in shame.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Pearls? Can I talk to you?" Phoenix said outside Pearl's door.

Pearl picked her head up and said, "Yes, Mr. Nick. Come in."

Phoenix opened the door and sat next to Pearl on the bed.

"Pearls... Can I ask you something?" He asked.

Pearl turned to look at Phoenix, "Sure Mr. Nick. What is it?"

Phoenix took a deep breath and said, "Pearls... Remember when Trucy said that Wocky 'scared' you?"

Pearl nodded.

"Well", he continued, "Well... I think I know what's going on..."

Pearl looked away from Phoenix and said, "W-What?"

Phoenix tried to be as gentle as possible with his next statement, "Well... You see... I think the reason you feel this way is because... I think you may have a... Fondness for Wocky... Like a... Well... Like a crush."

Pearl shoved Phoenix and yelled, "Mr. Nick! I do not have a crush on him!"

Phoenix knew plain as day she was lying, because he could see her smiling a little as she said it. "It's alright. It's quite normal to have feelings like that for guys sometimes. It's nothing to be ashamed of." Phoenix said to Pearl as she was blushing again. They were silent for a few moments.

Pearl suddenly spoke up, "Alright, Mr. Nick... Maybe I do like Wocky... But just a little!"

Phoenix smiled and put his hand on her shoulder, "You know, maybe you should talk to him, so you won't be as uncomfortable around him."

Pearl just looked at Phoenix and sighed, "I don't know, Mr. Nick... I would just make a fool out of myself."

"Well, just take it one step at a time." Phoenix said. "Tell you what... Let's me, you, and Trucy head down to People Park tomorrow. The Kitakis own it, and their house is across the street, so you might get a chance to see Wocky."

Pearl looked down and blushed even deeper at the thought she would be near his house, "O-OK... I guess that's alright."

"And if we do see him, I promise I won't let Trucy or myself embarrass you", Phoenix said looking at Pearl.

Pearl picked her head up again and said, "Thanks, Mr. Nick. I appreciate it... And please don't tell Trucy I like Wocky... She'd tell everyone!"

Phoenix chuckled, "Don't worry, Pearls. My lips are sealed; Your secret's safe with me." He then got up and headed to the door. "Now come on out. It's almost supper time."

***

After dinner, Pearl felt a lot better after Phoenix had talked to her. And for desert, she finally ate that cupcake she got from Wocky.

"Took you long enough", Trucy said, "How is it?"

Pearl smiled at her and said, "Delicious!"

After that Trucy went on the couch with Phoenix and watched TV. Pearl joined them as soon as she was done with her cupcake. They watched the TV for about two or three hours, then before they knew it, it was bedtime for Trucy and Pearl.

Trucy had gone into Pearl's room again to talk to her.

"Daddy says we're going to the park tomorrow", Trucy said.

"Yes, I know, Trucy", Pearl said. "I told him I wanted to pick flowers for Mystic Maya."

Trucy smiled and said, "Me and Daddy usually just walk around there, and on some occasions we fly kites! Or sometimes just watch the clouds."

Pearl just nodded.

Trucy suddenly smirked, "Y'know Pearl, Wocky's house is right across the street from the park, and his family owns it. We might see him so don't get scared now!"

Trucy giggled afterward, and Pearl just put her hand on her forehead.

"We probably won't, Trucy."

Trucy just stuck her tongue out at her, "Ooookaaay... Whatever you say..."

Loud footsteps were then heard coming towards the door. Phoenix then opened the door and poked his head inside.

"Trucy..." He said sternly.

Trucy gulped, "Y-Yes, Daddy?"

"It's way past your bedtime. Go to bed right now young lady."

Trucy frowned and said, "Yes, Daddy. Goodnight Pearl."

And with that, Trucy left the room. After the door shut behind then, Pearl climbed under the covers, cut her lights off, and drifted off to sleep.

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_**No flames allowed. Constructive criticism greatly appreciated.**_

_**More chapters coming soon.  
**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Here's the next chapter. This one is definitely the longest, and for me my favorite chapter to write. Prepare for fluffiness!  
**_

_**Enjoy!**_

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The next morning, Pearl got up and a bowl of cereal with Trucy again. Phoenix was eating instant pancakes.

"Good morning!" Pearl said happily.

"Good morning, Pearls", Phoenix said, "Sleep well?"

"Yes, Mr. Nick. I sure did!" Pearl answered.

Trucy chimed in, "What should we do at the park today, Daddy?"

"I just feel like walking around this time", Phoenix said, "I need the fresh air and exercise."

"That sounds good to me", Pearl said.

"Oh you'll love it, Pearl! It's such a clean and pretty park!" Trucy said.

Pearl was happy that she could walk around a nice park with Phoenix and Trucy, but she was nervous at the same time, due to the possibility of seeing Wocky.

***

That afternoon, Phoenix and the two girls were walking towards the south entrance of People Park, near the Kitakis' mansion.

Trucy pointed at the mansion and said to Pearl, "Look Pearl, that's where Wocky lives... Maybe he's theeereee~"

"Knock it off Trucy", Phoenix snapped.

Pearl blushed and pleaded to herself that she wouldn't see Wocky today. She just couldn't handle the humiliation. They walked a few more steps and soon they were inside the park. Pearl was amazed by how big the park was, and how it was nicely kept, considering the fact of who owned it. Pearl looked straight ahead the whole time, very afraid to look to the left or right, fearing Wocky might enter her path of sight.

Phoenix put his arm around Pearl and said, "Pearls, relax. Remember what we talked about last night."

Pearl just sighed.

Trucy was a few feet away sitting under a tree, making a twig float in the air.

"Look Daddy!" Trucy said, "It's floating!"

Phoenix laughed, "That's good! I've never seen you make a twig float before!"

Pearl giggled. She was reminded of the floating fork back at the agency. Trucy then let the twig drop as she got up and ran towards an area with park benches.

"Wait up, Trucy!" Phoenix called out, walking briskly towards where Trucy was going. Pearl followed behind him. When they finally caught up a few minutes later, they found Trucy sitting on one of the benches.

"Daddy, can we take a break for a while? My feet hurt", Trucy asked,

"Mine too", Pearl said, sitting next to Trucy.

"Sure. I'm getting tired myself", Phoenix said as he sat on the bench with Trucy. They looked around at the people walking around the park for a while. There really not that many people around except for a few people walking dogs or jogging.

Phoenix broke the silence and said, "So, how do you like the park so far, Pearls?" He then took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Oh, I love it! It's really nice", Pearl said.

***

They had sat there for about twenty minutes just having some casual conversation, until they heard someone singing. And quite horribly too.

Trucy started giggling, "Wow, who is that?"

She looked down the path to the left of her to see someone about thirty feet away in an over-sized pink and yellow jacket. Trucy could faintly see a dog design on the back when the person turned around, as they were dancing around quite awkwardly. Pearl herself tried to figure out who this was, but they were too far away too tell. However it looked like they were listening to an MP3 player. Trucy was almost in tears laughing, and Phoenix even chuckled.

Pearl herself couldn't help but laugh at how this person was singing and dancing around so strangely, and not to mention the weird jacket they were wearing. When the person got closer in view, Pearl immediately stopped laughing. This person had reached the area where she and the others were sitting, and he didn't notice them at all. He took his ear buds out of his head and put the MP3 player in the right pocket of his jacket as he sat on a bench that was right across the one where they were.

Pearl noticed this person looked familiar, but when she saw the orange bang she realized who it was: This whole time, the stupid dancing and horribly singing guy was none other than Wocky.

Pearl felt her heart sink to the ground when it hit her. Phoenix himself recognized Wocky and looked at Pearl nervously, and then at Trucy.

Trucy had stifled her laughter. She got herself to stop laughing and was starting to call Wocky over when Phoenix put his hand over her mouth.

"Trucy don't!" He snapped at her quietly.

"Daddy!" Trucy complained, her voice muffled by his hand.

Pearl meanwhile was squeezing on Phoenix's hand, looking down at the ground to avoid making eye contact with Wocky.

"I want to go home", Pearl whispered weakly to Phoenix.

"Pearls, try to calm down. Now sit up and take a deep breath." He answered.

Pearl did as he asked her to do.

Wocky however was still unaware of them, as he was looking at his cell phone and pressing buttons on it, most likely texting someone. Pearl tried very hard not to look at him. She wanted to badly to run all the way back to the office, but her fear immobilized he.

"Pearls, he's not paying any attention to us, so stop worrying", Phoenix said.

Oh, what a bad time for him to have said that. Wocky had just put his phone in his other pocket and looked straight at where they were sitting.

Pearl squeezed Phoenix's hand even harder, "Ouch!" He said as he pulled his hand out of Pearl's grasp and massaging it.

Trucy waved at Wocky and shouted "Hi!"

Wocky had stood up and started walking towards them. Pearl looked down again, face red.

"Shorty!" Wocky said to Trucy, giving her a playful noogie, "How goes it?"

"OK", Trucy said, "I loved that apple pie I got from you! Now Daddy wants to try something too!"

Wocky looked at Phoenix blankly, who just smiled at him kindly and said, "How do you do?"

"Uh... I'm jus' chillin', G... A-All's good in the hood!" Wocky answered. He then noticed Pearl with her head hanging, staring at her feet. "What's wrong with her?" He asked.

Phoenix made something up quickly, "Oh, she's just tired."

Suddenly a huge gust of wind blew, causing Trucy's hat to be carried away by the current.

Trucy jumped up immediately and shouted, "My hat! Daddy! My hat's being carried away!"

Trucy had started running after her hat, as it was getting farther and farther away.

Phoenix got up himself and said, "Trucy! Wait!" And he started running after her, "Pearls, stay there till I get back!"

And with that, the two were all the way down the path and out of sight.

Pearl's heart sank again as she realized that she was all alone with Wocky.

"_Oh no..._ _I'm.. Alone with him!_" She thought as she saw Wocky sitting on the bench with her, but they had a bit of distance between them. Pearl looked back at the ground again.

***

They had sat there for almost ten minutes, without saying a word to each other.

Eventually Wocky turned his head to look at Pearl. She was still looking at the ground, and he could tell she was uncomfortable.

"Gurl? You awright? Ya won't look at me!" Wocky said, trying not to get frustrated with her.

Pearl didn't say a word.

"Um... So... Ya jus' gonna ignore me, huh?" He said again to her flatly.

Pearl ignored him again. Wocky figured that she just didn't like him, and he was about to just give up.

Suddenly something came over him, as he got up from the bench and walked in front of her. He then crouched down to the level of where Pearl was hanging her head. He then took a risk and reached his hand out to her face and put his thumb under her chin and lifted her head up gently so she would be at his eye level. Pearl shuddered at this sudden contact, but surprisingly she didn't push him away.

"Look at me, gurl... Don't be shy..." Wocky said softly.

With all the strength she could muster, Pearl directed her eyes right onto Wocky's.

He smiled sweetly at her, "See? That won't so bad was it?"

Pearl lightly shook her head.

Wocky drew his hand away from her and sat back on the bench.

Pearl's face was now as red as it could get, but somehow she was starting to get used to him.

She turned to him and said, "... That cupcake from yesterday was really good."

Wocky jumped, startled by her voice. "So ya finally decide to talk to me?"

Pearl nodded.

"Well... Thanks, I guess... About the cupcake, I mean..."

Pearl smiled at him shyly and said, "No problem."

She was finally starting to feel comfortable around him now. They were silent for another five minutes.

Suddenly Wocky asked, "Ya name's Pearl, right?"

"Yes. Pearl Fey", Pearl answered, "I'm from Kurain Village. I practice channeling there."

"What's that?" Wocky asked.

"It's where you use all your energy to summon a deceased person's spirit. They take over your body for a while, as if they were still alive, until you dismiss them or your energy runs out." Pearl explained.

Wocky looked at her in amazement, "That's so cool, gurl! Could ya do it wheneva ya wanted?"

"No", she said, "It takes a lot of training to be able to do it, and only women born in Kurain Village practice channeling."

"Oh", he said.

Pearl then spent the next few minutes talking about her times with Maya and Phoenix back when she was younger, and how she helped them out during Phoenix's cases.

"Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya were so amazing!" She said excitedly, "It's too bad that he's not a lawyer anymore and that she's too busy to visit nowadays."

Wocky had listened attentively the whole time in interest, "That's pretty fly, I guess... I went to court too once."

"Really?" Pearl asked.

"Yeah", Wocky said, "It was pretty wack, gurl... But Shorty and that Pollo guy really helped me avoid some tough shit. Without them I woulda been screwed!"

Pearl looked at him in concern, "What happened?"

"It's kinda hard for me to talk about..." Wocky said frowning, "But... Here goes nothin'..."

So Wocky told her everything: How he was shot by the Rivales family, the failed operation, the bullet in his heart that almost killed him, and how Alita Tiala framed him for murder and how she only wanted to marry him for his family's money.

After he was done he sat there silently looking and his feet, trying not to get choked up in front of her.

Pearl was so deeply touched and sadded by his story, and felt so bad for him that she just broke out sobbing.

Wocky had picked his head up when he heard Pearl's sobs.

He looked at her and said, "Why ya cryin'?"

Pearl almost couldn't talk due to her heavy sobs. "I-I just feel so bad for you! I had no idea all those bad things happened to you!"

She then put her hands over her face and continued to sob. Sad stories such as this tended to make Pearl extremely emotional.

Wocky just looked at her helplessly. He felt really bad for making her cry, and he wanted it to stop.

He suddenly thought of something, but wasn't sure if it was a good idea. He just went with his gut and went along with it.

He then started to slowly scoot closer to Pearl. She didn't notice this, and before she could he quickly wrapped his arms around her.

She immediately stopped crying and lightly gasped in shock. She didn't know what to do, since she had never been this close to a guy before, so she just shyly wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. She now felt the most comfortable with Wocky that she had ever been, and wondered why she was so nervous around him before.

"It's OK, Pearl", Wocky said softly in her ear, "I'm awright now... I was declared innocent in that trial, they put Alita in the pen, and my dad found a good doctor and he got that bullet outta me."

Pearl's tears finally stopped and she was calmed down now.

She looked up at him and said in a shaky voice, "R-Really?"

"Yeah", he answered.

"Y-You know", Pearl said, "When I first met you at your shop the other day... I... I was kind of scared of you at first... But after a while, I... Started to..."

Wocky cut her off by saying, "Ya like me, doncha gurl?"

Pearl blushed again and nodded slowly. He didn't respond to her. He just looked at her, still with his arms around her.

Pearl was confused at this point.

"What's wrong Wo-"

She was cut off again, but this time by Wocky leaning into her and pressing his lips onto hers.

Pearl's heart felt it was doing back flips. She was absolutely shocked by how bold Wocky was. She had never experienced anything like this in her entire life.

The kiss lasted for several minutes... Until she suddenly felt the tip of his tongue touch hers.

She quickly pulled away from him, breaking the kiss.

Wocky was left confused, "What. ya didn't like it?" He asked.

"...Your tongue was in my mouth!" Pearl said, her voice trembling and her face redder than ever before.

He responded wide eyed, "What?! Ya sure? I didn't know gurl!"

"Yes it was! Don't do that anymore... It was a bit too much for me." Pearl said shyly.

"I'm sorry, gurl, I... I kinda got carried away! Ya said ya liked me and-"

"Wocky. I think we shouldn't rush into things like this yet... I like you, but... Now isn't the right time. I really wasn't prepared for that."

Pearl looked at him sincerely as she said this.

Wocky nodded, "... A-Awright then, gurl. We'll take it slow... I-I promise I won't do anything ya ain't ready for."

"Oh, and Wocky?"

"Yeah?"

"Please don't tell anyone about this... I-I don't know if Mr. Nick or Trucy could handle it."

"Oh, I ain't gonna tell nobody! I promise!"

Just then, Pearl heard footsteps coming towards them. She looked down the path to see Phoenix and Trucy returning.

"I found my hat!" Trucy said happily, "Daddy saves the day again!"

Phoenix looked rather worn out and tired.

"Phew", Phoenix said, "That hat was just on the move! Took forever to catch up with it..."

Pearl had just realized that they were gone for almost an hour and a half.

"Sorry Pearls", Phoenix said, "That hat sure went a long way. I had to climb up a tree to finally get it! Anyway... We're you OK?"

"Yes, Mr. Nick", Pearl said, "Everything was fine. Me and Wocky just talked while you were gone."

Wocky nodded his head in agreement, "Yeah! Jus' chattin' it up G! Know what I'm sayin'?"

Phoenix chuckled, "Well, thanks for looking after Pearl while I was gone."

"No prob G", Wocky responded, "She's pretty cool!"

Pearl blushed and smiled, "T-Thanks!"

Phoenix looked up at the sky; the sun was setting. "It's getting late, you two. Time for us to go home", he said.

Pearl got off the bench. "Bye Wocky", she said, "I'll see you later."

"You too, Pearl", Wocky said, "Come by the shop sometimes... I'll make somethin' for ya..."

Trucy giggled at their interaction silently as she stood next to Phoenix. Phoenix just looked at them silently.

"OK", Pearl said, and with that, she joined Phoenix and Trucy and walked out of the park.

* * *

_**No flames allowed. Constructive criticism greatly appreciated.**_

_**The final chapter is coming soon. I'm so sad that I have to end this story :(  
**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Well, everybody, this is it. The last chapter of this fic. Let's see how this story ends.  
**_

_**Enjoy.**_

_**

* * *

**_Later that night, Trucy was talking to Pearl in her room, just like every night.

"So, what did you and Wocky do while me and Daddy were looking for my hat?" Trucy asked.

"We just talked", Pearl said.

"About what?"

"Nothing much. Just friendly conversation."

Trucy noted that Pearl was blushing wildly and said, "Oh really? I can tell by looking at you that something else happened!"

Pearl looked at Trucy and said, "No! We just talked! Nothing more!"

Trucy could tell she was lying; She noticed that Pearl twitched when she said 'nothing more'.

"You're lying, Pearl! I saw you twitch!"

Pearl looked at her angrily, "I am not!" She said.

"Yeah, well, when me and Daddy came back to the bench where you were sitting, you and Wocky sure looked happy!"

Pearl blushed, "H-H-He... H-He just told me a funny joke! That's all!"

"I didn't see you two laughing."

Pearl was almost at a loss... She did not want to tell her what happened between her and Wocky. Besides, they both promised each other that they wouldn't tell anyone.

"Fess up, Pearl! You and Wocky did more than just talk!" Trucy said.

Pearl was about to regret what she was about to do.

She apologized to Wocky silently and said, "Alright, alright, Trucy! We did talk... But then he started getting all touchy feely with me!"

Trucy gasped in amazement, 'Oooooh Pearl~!"

Pearl then continued, "...A-And then, he... H-H-He..."

"He did what, Pearl?" Trucy asked excitedly.

Pearl then lowered her voice to almost zero volume, "...H-He... H-He... K-K... K-Kissed me..."

Trucy didn't understand a word that she just said. "What was that, Pearl? I couldn't hear you."

Pearl, not being able to take it anymore, yelled at the top of her lungs, "HE KISSED ME! YES! WOCKY KISSED ME! YOU HAPPY NOW, TRUCY?!"

She then realized what she had just done and covered her mouth with her hands.

Trucy got all wide eyed and just squealed like a child in a toy store, "OOOOOOOOOHHH~! OMIGOD!!"

Pearl started to shush Trucy, "Be quiet, Trucy! Do you want Mr. Nick to come in here?!"

Trucy tried to regain her composure, "I'm sorry Pearl! It's just that... Wocky kissed you! I've never been kissed before!"

"Me either... Until... That." Pearl responded.

Trucy almost lost it again, "AAAWWW~! Y-You mean... He was your first?!"

Pearl nodded. Trucy squealed again and hugged Pearl, "Ooh, I'm so happy for you! So... Are you guys gonna start... You know... Going out?"

Pearl blushed and said, "No."

"Aw, why not?" Trucy frowned.

"Well, after that... Experience, I told him that I wasn't ready to go that far yet, so we decided to just be friends for now."

Trucy pouted and said, "Way to kill the mood, Pearl!"

"Trucy... The time for us wasn't right. We're gonna wait until it comes. Do you get it?"

Pearl explained. Trucy thought for a moment, and then said, "Sure, Pearl!"

"Oh, and Trucy?"

"Yes, Pearl?"

"Don't tell anyone what I just told you. Especially Mr. Nick."

"OK, Pearl. I won't tell anybody!"

Soon familiar footsteps were heard coming towards the door. The doorknob turned and Phoenix came in.

"What was all that yelling about? You realize what time it is?" He asked.

Trucy remembered her promise to Pearl and said, "I... Saw a spider!"

Pearl jumped in, "Yeah! But we got it though."

Phoenix chuckled and said, "Well then... Trucy, time for bed."

Trucy got up from the bed and said goodnight to Pearl, then shut the door behind her.

Afterward, Pearl got in the bed and cut off the light. She started thinking about the past few days she had spent with Phoenix and Trucy... But, she mostly thought of Wocky.

"_I never thought during my time here that all of this would happen... Wocky kind of scared me at first, but after I looked into his eyes for the first time..._"

Pearl turned over and yawned, "_I... Started to like him.._."

Pearl then fell asleep and began to dream.

She saw Wocky smiling at her and Pearl started talking to him.

"_Wocky... Even though I said I wasn't ready for a romantic relationship with you yet, someday I will be... So, until then... Will you wait for me... My little Fox Prince?_"

* * *

_**No flames allowed. Constructive criticism greatly appreciated.**_

_**Thank you kindly for reading my fic! I spent a lot of time writing it, but I had a lot of fun doing it. I thought I was taking a risk doing such an obscure pairing, but I wanted to think outside the box. **_

_**Well, until my next fic... See ya!  
**_


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